


Red Platinum

by Clef



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: AU, M/M, and steven actually did something, aura stuff, riley's job as an aura guardian is to protect the lake trio, v low quality sorry, what if he played a bigger role with team galactic than being stuck on iron island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-27 22:02:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16228199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clef/pseuds/Clef
Summary: Old drabble I remembered. Had this posted on tumblr but not here, decided to anyway since i wasn't going to edit it. Also this was written January this year?? Which feels so long ago this year has been crap for meI'm still working on JTS, the next chapter decided to be a comic because it didn't want to be just words :P  Goal is have it out before 2019, y'all are amazing if you're still around after all this time.





	Red Platinum

**Author's Note:**

> Old drabble I remembered. Had this posted on tumblr but not here, decided to anyway since i wasn't going to edit it. Also this was written January this year?? Which feels so long ago this year has been crap for me
> 
> I'm still working on JTS, the next chapter decided to be a comic because it didn't want to be just words :P Goal is have it out before 2019, y'all are amazing if you're still around after all this time.

 

         Trainers arrived on the winds, and with them, rumors. Rumors of Team Galactic gaining speed; a threat made in Pastoria. Byron arrived a few days later confirming it: he heard from Crasher Wake that a bomb could be planted at Lake Valor and it needed investigation. Riley was brought back with him to Canalave, where they went their separate ways. Byron had two challengers to prepare for; Riley needed to make way east.

         It was then that the earth shook and the Aura screamed. He heard Azelf cry out, followed by Mesprit and Uxie. Lucario quickly made a forcefield around the two of them, enough to quiet the aura around them. Riley called out Salamence and quickly boarded. He wished he could make it in time.

         It was too late for Azelf. Riley couldn't clear the mountains before their scream vanished. He turned back for Mesprit, since their scream only grew louder from the loss of willpower. Salamence landed with a thud by the lakebed.

         Grunt members moved away from Riley quickly, continuing their work away from the ferocious dragon. Lucario and Metagross joined in as all three began attacking, moving their way to the center of the lake.

         "So you're the famous land guardian Riley." She smiled as one hand pet her Purugly. Behind her Mesprit was still in the air as energy bound its form. "You might be hiding yourself from the public eye, but we knew to expect you."

         "Release Mesprit."

         "If you're here then Azelf must be captured already~ You were too late, hmm?"

Riley's aura thundered, arcs of energy burning the ground and steadily radiating outward.

"Very well Aura reader, try THIS!" Her hand, gloved and cloaked in red light, shot out at him.

 

         He can't remember what happened once he hit Verity. His body was heavy. His skin was cold. The room was dark. He... he couldn't feel. Impossible..! There was no way he couldn't feel! Aura is always there! It was in everything, even inorganic material! So why? Why couldn’t he sense any Aura?

 

-

 

            Even Steven felt the tremor from his villa. When he confirmed his suspicions his heart sank. The explosion at Lake Valor could only mean another Sootopolis incident was inevitable. His bad feeling only got worse when he heard the crash landing outside.

A Salamence lay in a crater of dirt with a Lucario, both injured and exhausted. They were Riley’s pokemon! Steven was able to stabilize Salamence, but Lucario was erratic. He was struck with spasms, refusing Steven to touch him. Metagross had to pull Lucario unconscious in order to bring him to Nurse Joy.

“Lucario is showing signs to aura deprivation, but I’ve never even heard of a case this fatal. What happened?!”

“Please, take care of Lucario!”

“Wait, Steven!” He crashed out the door.

“Skarmory, we’re flying!”

What he saw in the sky was horrifying. Smoke billowed from Lake Valor. The fallen trees surrounding the lake defined the blast radius. From what he could tell Verity seemed untouched, but unmarked aircraft were around the lake. He probably couldn’t do much at any of the lakes now, but he could stop them at the source…

He quietly landed outside of Veilstone City, sneaking into the warehouse held by Galactic. He would’ve preferred blowing the place down, but he didn’t have proof that Galactic was behind any of it. He only heard of the small incidents they caused on Iron Island and at the Valley Windworks. At sight of the entrance he noticed a sturdy leg behind an opposite shipping crate.

“Alexius?!” he choked out when he reached Riley’s Metagross. It was in bad a shape as Salamence was. “Where’s Riley?”

He could understand Metagross at least, keeping his hand on the smooth body as it tried to explain what happened. The lake explosion, fighting Team Galactic with Riley at the lake, and then,

“Red, binding, pain? I don’t understand.” Metagross got more and more restless. <Red bindings, hurt Riley, hurt Lucario, took Riley, followed Riley. Red bindings, pain.>

“Riley is here, correct?”

<Yes, red binding, pain>

“Get to the Pokemon Center. I’m going to get Riley.” As he got up, Metagross stopped him short.

<Careful, red bindings, spirit loss>

“Spirit? Do you mean Aura?”

<Yes. Spirit loss, Sight dark. > Metagross seemed… sad. <Lucario hurt. Riley hurt. Spirit loss>

Steven couldn’t help but hug the steel type, for both of them. “I’ll save Riley, I promise. Lucario’s safe. Salamence is safe, they both found me. That’s why I’m here. I’ll get him back.”

One last squeeze. “I’ll get him back.”

 

Steven couldn’t destroy the outward appearance of the building. But inside? He had Metagross tear down walls and destroy teleports. Grunts were pushed to the wall with psychic energy as floors bloomed open, Steven quietly walked through his paved destruction. None of these grunts knew where Riley was being held; he needed to find an admin.

“Team Galactic will change this world! With the power over space and time, Cyrus will control this world, and that’s when it becomes interesting!”

This Charon scientist was insane…!

“I’m sure his world wouldn’t let people such as you to exist, Champion.” He sneered as Steven dropped him to the floor, stolen keycard in hand. “Barging in here like you own the place, destroying it like an old toy!”

The door slid open in response to the keycard, good.

“We won’t be whims to your power once Cyrus returns!”

The lab was already dark, with sick green liquid held in containers. There wasn’t any sign of Riley even as he made toward the back room. Three round machines stood in the far room. Extraction machines, from what Steven could tell from the monitors. They were used until recently, containing the lake guardians. Security footage showed a young boy defeating an admin before releasing them.

 _I wasn’t the only one who caught on then._ He smiled a bit as he saw the three fly away, free.

Going through more security footage revealed Riley’s location. He was in a solitary cell, but it didn’t look like he was largely injured. But the exhaustion Steven saw, he never saw in Riley before.

Thankfully the keycard worked on the door lock as Steven ran into the room. Riley was in the same corner the footage showed, but he was worse. He wasn’t there, not mentally.

“Riley! Riley, Ri, I’m here. It’s me.” He was only going to touch his shoulder; he knew Aura could be weird when he was exhausted, but his hands were rubbing his arms, cradling his face, holding him close.

Riley’s breathing was shallow, ragged. His eyes weren’t focusing.

“Riley, can you hear me?” He heard Metagross set itself in front of the door, ready for Steven to hop on and leave.

He only shuddered under Steven’s touch. His skin was freezing. Riley was trying to talk, but no sound was coming out.

“Ri, babe, I need to know if it’s okay to move you. We gotta get out of here.”

Ri slowly reached a hand out. Steven responded by holding it with his own. He weakly grasped it as he stared back at Steven.

            Cradily helped move Riley to the back of Metagross, and Steven had Metagross carry them both back out. The building had been abandoned, seemed all of Galactic left the building.

Citizens and grunts alike stared up, as the sky was a dull orange. Clouds swirled above Mount Coronet, an ominous purple as energy gathered. Fear settled into Steven’s gut as from the cloud, an inky black form spread its wings, red talons scraping into the mountain, as the creature cried out a bone chilling shrill.

Steven was useless again. The power of a Champion Trainer, and he wouldn’t dare protect anyone from that monster of a legendary pokemon. He couldn’t do a thing when the skies above Hoenn poured down torrential rain and the sun evaporated life. He didn’t do anything when Galactic first showed signs of activity.

He couldn’t even protect his best friend, his _boyfriend,_ from being tortured to near exhaustion.

“Meta!”

Steven snapped out of it as he saw Riley’s Metagross rumble toward them. He squeezed Riley’s hand to get his attention.

“Look, your Metagross is here too. They showed me where you were. I gotta get Nurse Joy to look at both of you, you look like you were eaten by a Steelix, you know that?”

Riley weakly groaned. Steven was sure he was trying to laugh.

<Riley spirit. Riley spirit lost.>

“Ri, can you feel aura right now?”

He only curled up under Steven, eyes falling closed as his brows furrowed. His quick breath and newfound terror in his eyes confirmed Steven’s worst fears: Riley was as normal as anyone else right now. An Aura guardian who couldn’t use Aura.

 

“Thanks for the fill-in Steven. They leave a lot out from the news reports.”

Riley was moved to Canalave for recovery, thankfully the only physical problem was exhaustion from stress.

As for what happened on Coronet, Cynthia was there and was able to fill in Steven. Apparently a portal to the Distortion World opened? The lake guardians helped seal it up, with Cyrus inside. Team Galactic was disbanded.

Riley hadn’t recovered his aura abilities, and neither Lucario. They were both physically healthy at least and were both discharged.

Cynthia mentioned that Cyrus used a substance called red chain to summon legendary pokemon that Riley and Lucario could’ve been exposed to. If it was made from the jewels of the lake guardians, it was possible the chain could affect aura abilities.

“…I have to go Steven. I have to at least TRY.”

“But, these pokemon are finicky, who knows what will happen, what if you, what if…” His breath hitched as he let his head had against Riley’s chest, accepting the warm arms moving to embrace him.

“I’m not much of a guardian to them if I can’t use Aura, Steven. I have to ask.”

“I don’t want to lose you.”

Riley couldn’t retort to that immediately, only keep his arms wrapped around him.

“I can only feel you when I’m touching you Steven. I can’t tell where anyone else is, how they’re feeling, how trees outside are flourishing… I’m so blind to everything.” He let his finger run through the short hair. “If there’s some way I can get it back, you bet your ass I’m going to try.”

Steven snorted up whatever was falling from his nose as he pushed away a bit. “I know. You have to do this. At least, let me follow you. ”

Riley took the opportunity to plant a kiss, short but firm.

“Of course, my gem.”

 

Steven watched in amazement as Mesprit, the being of Emotion, danced around Riley and Lucario on that damp night. The moon reflected large and bright on the lake surface as stardust glittered and fell from the being. He watched as a blue glow beat weak; strengthening with each turn from Mesprit, begin to envelop the two of them. Lucario howled with glee, trying its best to stay in place. Riley seemed to be invigorated, a smile playing on his face as he stared into his hands.

With a flick of its tails Mesprit shimmered out of sight, presumably retreating to its home below the lake. Riley murmured a few words, as did Lucario.

Slowly, Steven walked toward the pair. “Ri, how do you feel?”

“They gave it back Gem. They gave it back!” He went to turn around but stopped short, clutching his forehead.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, the Aura just feels stronger than normal. Just need to get used to it again.” After a few breaths he released it, accepting the other into his arms.

“How does it feel?” Steven mumbled. He felt Riley hold him closer, clutch him tighter, bury his face in his shoulder.

“It’s so warm.”

 

            Recovery after that was slow. Riley and Lucario often had headaches, occasionally nausea if the place was rich in Aura, but otherwise the two recovered with stronger Aura powers than they had originally. Steven couldn’t stay long to Devon matters, but he kept in contact with Riley and visited whenever he could.

 

 


End file.
